Why Wait
by danakatherinebeckett
Summary: "So what do you think? Wanna get married tonight?" Shameless wedding fluff. Set early Season 7.


Summary: _"So what do you think? Wanna get married tonight?"_ Shameless wedding fluff. Set early Season 7.

Disclaimer: If these characters were mine, that finale would have gone a whole lot differently. (The lyrics to _Why Wait_ by Rascal Flatts are also not mine.)

* * *

Why wait another minute for something we should have done yesterday?

I know a little church and a preacher who could hook us up right away

Love don't need a reason, and baby I don't see how I could love you any more than I do today

So why, why wait?

_**Why Wait**__—_**Rascal Flatts**

* * *

It was over. It was all over. Days of searching, of hoping, of not giving up, and Castle was here, he was safe; Tyson was lying on a slab in Lanie's morgue, side by side with Kelly Nieman. It was over; they were home, standing just inside the doorway to the loft where Kate had all but collapsed into her fiancé's arms.

"Oh, Castle, we were supposed to be married… The Hamptons, my mom's dress…" Kate sighed into his neck. Castle tightened his arms around her and remained silent. "It was all so perfect," she continued, "But now… now I don't know if I can do all that again without, without thinking about…"

"I know," he whispered into her hair.

"But I don't want to keep waiting. I just want to be married. To you."

"So let's get married."

Kate went still, her fingers fisting in his collar. "What… now? How? I don't-"

Castle smiled against her temple. "I know a guy."

Beckett pulled back, staring at him with her face a perfect blend of incredulity and skepticism, that same expression she used to give him when they first started working together and he'd worked tirelessly to come up with yet another crazy theory to impress her with; the same expression that back then he'd wanted nothing more than to kiss off her face, and he can now, so he does. When they pull apart, she's smiling softly at him. "Why am I even surprised by that anymore?"

"Really, Beckett, you should know by now that I have a guy pretty much everywhere." Castle leaned in and stole another quick kiss. "I know a Reverend at the Central Presbyterian Church on Park Ave who owes me a favor. Gave him a few signed copies of _Frozen Heat_ for a church fundraiser a few years back and—anyway, I'm pretty sure I can give him a call, short notice. We don't have to have the wedding at the church, if you don't want to; we could have it at the Library, or in the Park, or wherever you…"

Kate stared up at him, at a loss for words. Castle frowned slightly, his eyes searching hers. "I mean, if you don't want short notice, we don't have to do this, we can just wait until-"

"No! No, Castle, I just… I mean. Are you sure we can pull this off?"

"Look, we've got the marriage license, we've got my mom and Alexis, and we'll call your dad, Ryan, Espo, and Lanie and have them meet us there. And the reverend, of course." Castle reached for her hands, running his thumb over her engagement ring. "So, what do you think. Wanna get married tonight?"

Kate squeezed his hands, pulling them to rest against her stomach, and leaned her forehead against his. "Yes," she breathed, a smile splitting her face. "Let's do it."

* * *

Kate fidgeted with the hem of her navy lace cocktail dress as she sat at a table in the New York Public Library's reading room, waiting on the rest of their family to show up. She and Castle had split up, reluctantly, as she went to go pick up her dad and he drove Martha and Alexis to the library to first ask permission, find the perfect place, and talk with the reverend. Esposito and Lanie were here somewhere; they were just waiting on the Ryan family.

"So this is it, huh?"

Kate looked up as her father sat himself down in the chair next to her. He reached over and took her hand in his, squeezing gently. "Yeah," she whispered softly. "I'm, uh, trying not to forget my vows."

Jim smiled and nodded. "You know, your mother and I didn't write our own vows. But I'm pretty sure that once you're there, in the moment, all the right words will come to you. It's a special moment, Katie, magical, even. And you and Castle have been through so much together, I think the most important thing is that you're there, together, loving one another in that moment, and all the ones to come."

"Thanks, Dad," Kate leaned forward and kissed his cheeks, tears glistening in her eyes.

"You look beautiful, you know. Your mom would be so proud of you."

"You do look marvelous, darling." Martha stepped forward, placing a hand on Jim's shoulder. "Kevin and Jenny and their adorable little baby girl are here, and we're all ready to begin if you are." She placed a bouquet of white roses in Kate's hands.

"What- where did these come from?"

"Alexis and I insisted on stopping and picking you up a bouquet, among other things." Martha then produced a hair comb with the same white roses and a few sprigs of baby's breath, sweeping Kate's hair to the side and securing it with the gorgeous flowers. Kate stood and enveloped her soon-to-be mother-in-law in a hug. "Thank you, Martha."

"Well," Jim said as he stood. "Are you ready?"

Kate couldn't contain her smile as she took her father's elbow. "More than ready. Let's go."

They made their way through an aisle of bookshelves to a small alcove where Castle stood with the reverend, surrounded by their friends and family. Kate's grip on Jim's elbow tightened as she locked eyes with her fiancé—husband—almost husband. Jim covered her hand with his and smiled at his daughter, who only had eyes for Castle. When they reached him, she turned to her father and gave him a quick hug, laughing as he held on a moment longer before he kissed her forehead and let her go.

Before taking Castle's proffered hands in hers, Kate handed her bouquet to Lanie and her gaze swept around the semi-circle of loved ones enveloping them, all dressed with hints of navy. That had to be another Alexis and Martha miracle. Finally turning to Castle, she took his hands and smiled up at him. He was dressed in one of her favorite navy blue button downs, charcoal suit, and no tie. His eyes looked deep and endlessly blue, staring back at her with so much love that she had to blink hard and turn to the pastor to keep from crying before the ceremony was even underway.

"We're gathered here this evening to celebrate the marriage of Richard Castle and Katherine Beckett; finally, so I'm told." The reverend cleared his throat as their little group laughed softly. "The couple has written their own vows, so whoever would like to go first…"

"I will," Kate said quickly, before Castle could jump in. She wanted to get her words over with and out of the way so she could focus on listening to his when it came his turn to speak. He was so much better with words, anyway. Save the best for last, right? Taking a deep breath, she began.

"I never would have thought, six years ago when I first interrupted your book launch party to interrogate you on that copycat case that we would end up here. I was excited, at first, to get a chance to work with my favorite author… but I got over that pretty quickly, once you opened your mouth."

Their family laughed, and Castle's eyes shone with merriment, his laugh lines deepening as he smiled at her. "For some reason, you stuck with me, following me like a hyper, golden retriever puppy, with your crazy theories and constant presence; eventually proving yourself as a man who is intelligent, strong, fiercely loyal, and worthy of being my partner. You've had my back through it all, holding me up when I was falling down, pulling me back when I got too close to the edge, and loving me more than I could ever deserve. You brought laughter, love, and family back into my life in a way I could never have imagined, and can never thank you enough for. So," she inhaled shakily, squeezing his hands tighter. "I promise to listen, to laugh, to… cry, to help you and to love you. Always."

"Kate…" Castle breathed, letting go of one of her hands to wipe away a tear from her cheek she hadn't even noticed shedding. "You are… the strongest, most determined, most fearless, most… badass woman I've ever known. You have the most beautiful smile, the most gorgeous laugh; you love fiercely, and I'm so lucky to have experienced even an ounce of that love. Being with you, in any capacity, has lead to some of the most incredible, challenging, terrifying, and wonderful experiences of my life. I had to fight for you, Kate, fight to be here, with you, and I don't regret a moment of it. And I can't wait for everything that's coming next; I can't wait to experience every moment of life, together, with you. Katherine Beckett, I promise to stand beside you, through every up and every down, and to love you as deeply and as truly and as fiercely as I know how." He paused, his eyes softening. "To love you, always."

Silence fell as the couple, and every other person in attendance fought back tears. Finally the reverend quietly asked for the rings, and Alexis placed them in her father's hand. With a band on each ring finger, Castle broke their gaze and turned expectantly to the pastor. The older man cleared his throat with a smile. "By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Kate was in his embrace before she even knew what happened; all the nerves and the fears and the worries she'd had brewing in her heart since their first botched ceremony released as she lost herself in his kiss. They broke apart to Esposito making catcalls and getting hushed by Lanie, Sarah Grace babbling in her mother's arms, their closest family and friends waiting for them with smiles and tears. Castle tucked his wife into his side, pressing another kiss to the crown of her head.

"We did it," he whispered. "I love you, Mrs. Castle."

Kate laughed into his shoulder. "Love you too, Writer Man."


End file.
